Pongal is a four-day-long harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu in the beginning of the year, when crops like rice, sugarcane, turmeric etc. are harvested. The festival is akin to “Thanksgiving” in that people give thanks for the harvest of the season. Families get together and celebrate the festival by making colourful “rangolis”, cooking the Pongal dish – made of boiled milk and rice – and dancing.
When: 15th to 18th January 2020
Where: Tamil Nadu
What’s Special: From decorating houses and making colourful “rangolis” in the streets to bull and bird fighting like Jallikattu in Madurai, everything about Pongal is unique and special.